The Japanese Man Who Made Sudoku A Worldwide Sensation Has Passed Away
He said his life's work was spreading joy through puzzles.
By May Vin Ang — 19 Aug 2021, 01:04 PM
Maki Kaji, the publisher of worldwide sensation Sudoku and whose life's work was spreading the joy of puzzles, has died by bile duct cancer at the age of 69
Known as the 'Godfather of Sudoku', Kaji reworked and popularised the puzzle for the enjoyment of everyone
According to Reuters, the puzzle enthusiast took hints from existing American number puzzle called 'Number Place' and revised its design so that the puzzle became simpler to understand and play.
He named it 'Sudoku', which is short for a Japanese expression – 'Suji wa dokushin ni kagiru' – that means, 'every number must be single'.
The university dropout then started a small publishing firm called Nikoli making puzzle magazines, where he trademarked and introduced Sudoku to Japan in 1984.
Sudoku only became a global hit when, by a stroke of luck, a New Zealand fan found his magazine and succeeded in getting it published in British newspaper The Times in 2004
And the rest is history. Sudoku is played by millions all over the world and can be found in over 600 national newspapers.
It is also praised as a way to keep mental faculties sharp, and has drawn people to compete in world championships that have been held annually since 2006.
Despite its popularity though, Nikoli has never trademarked the game or earned royalties from it, except for within Japan
According to BBC, Kaji, who continued to create and refine puzzles for his magazines over the years, said the joy of the game and of others enjoying it was more important to him than any monetary reward.
"I get really moved when I see a new idea for a puzzle which has lots of potential. It is like finding treasure," he told the BBC in 2007.
"It's not about whether it will make money, it is purely the excitement of trying to solve it."
Kaji died on 10 August at his home in Mitaka, Tokyo and is survived by his wife and two daughters
He was chief executive at Nikoli until July this year.
"Known as the Godfather of Sudoku, Kaji was adored by puzzle lovers around the world and we would like to express our gratitude to all of you," wrote the company on its website on Monday, 16 August.
